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Help understanding Shakespeare language?
“Pray can I not,
Though inclination be as sharp as will:
My stronger guilt defeats my strong intent;” Hamlet Act 3, scene 3
Act 1, scene 7 of Macbeth:
“If it were done when 'tis done, then 'twere well
It were done quickly: if the assassination
Could trammel up the consequence, and catch
With his surcease success; that but this blow
Might be the be-all and the end-all here,
But here, upon this bank and shoal of time,
We'ld jump the life to come. But in these cases
We still have judgment here . . . .”
I am supposed to describe the significance of this scene and what it means, but i am having trouble with the language. Anyone who has maybe read both plays or can understand what these are saying and can help, i'd be so grateful!
3 Answers
- 8 years agoFavorite Answer
this is the meaning of the soliloquy, i always use spark notes, its the best website for understanding the meanings and analysis.
If this business would really be finished when I did the deed, then it would be best to get it over with quickly. If the assassination of the king could work like a net, sweeping up everything and preventing any consequences, then the murder would be the be-all and end-all of the whole affair, and I would gladly put my soul and the afterlife at risk to do it. But for crimes like these there are still punishments in this world. By committing violent crimes we only teach other people to commit violence, and the violence of our students will come back to plague us teachers. Justice, being equal to everyone, forces us to drink from the poisoned cup that we serve to others. The king trusts me in two ways. First of all, I am his kinsman and his subject, so I should always try to protect him. Second, I am his host, so I should be closing the door in his murderer’s face, not trying to murder him myself. Besides, Duncan has been such a humble leader, so free of corruption, that his virtuous legacy will speak for him when he dies, as if angels were playing trumpets against the injustice of his murder. Pity, like an innocent newborn baby, will ride the wind with winged angels on invisible horses through the air to spread news of the horrible deed to everyone everywhere. People will shed a flood of tears that will drown the wind like a horrible downpour of rain. I can’t spur myself to action. The only thing motivating me is ambition, which makes people rush ahead of themselves toward disaster.
Source(s): spark notes - Anonymous8 years ago
In prose: first the Hamlet quote: Polonius strongly wishes to pray, but his guilt gets in the way and won't let him.
The Macbeth quote: If killing the king would be the end of the matter and not be attended with any consequences, then I would gladly take my chances with any punishment in the after-life and do it. But I fear lest by committing murder myself, which might someday be retorted on me, I shall set an example of murder to others to imitate.
I
I have tried to give the general sense of the quotes rather than to give a transliteration of them.
